Think about it, for both Nalbandian and Ljubicic, losing to Federer could be a blessing in disguise. Now the winner of this match faces Davydenko in the semis, giving both of them a great chance of getting into the final. If they had finished first in their groups, then they would most likely face Gonzo (assuming he beats Gaudio) and that can be dangerous an any surface. Gonzo has beaten Nalbandian on hard court recently (as well as lost to him) and he nearly beat Ljubicic indoors at Madrid.

Considering ranking points are awarded for all wins it is probably beneficial to win all matches if possible. In reality the 3 best players at the event are; Roger, David and Ivan and the top 2 from this group should reach the final if they play to their abilities.

Think about it, for both Nalbandian and Ljubicic, losing to Federer could be a blessing in disguise. Now the winner of this match faces Davydenko in the semis, giving both of them a great chance of getting into the final. If they had finished first in their groups, then they would most likely face Gonzo (assuming he beats Gaudio) and that can be dangerous an any surface. Gonzo has beaten Nalbandian on hard court recently (as well as lost to him) and he nearly beat Ljubicic indoors at Madrid.

Yes, maybe for the winner of the DN/IL match
But losing to Roge in the Round Robin meant that they are not even guaranteed to get to the semi, and one of them ends their T.M.C tomorrow

(ANd I would not discount nikolai either- I think he has great chance to make it to the final)

Yes, maybe for the winner of the DN/IL match
But losing to Roge in the Round Robin meant that they are not even guaranteed to get to the semi, and one of them ends their T.M.C tomorrow

(ANd I would not discount nikolai either- I think he has great chance to make it to the final)

Ok, maybe my original wording was unclear. I meant it was a good opportunity for the winner of that match, since on of them is guaranteed to make it to the semi. I don't think there is much Davydenko can do against Ljubicic, maybe against Nalbandian because their games are somewhat similar.

As for the points, if Federer beats Coria and loses to Gonzo in the semis, he would end up with 300 points. If Ljubicic/Nalbandian defeats Davydenko in the semis, they would have at least 450 points.

Think about it, for both Nalbandian and Ljubicic, losing to Federer could be a blessing in disguise. Now the winner of this match faces Davydenko in the semis, giving both of them a great chance of getting into the final. If they had finished first in their groups, then they would most likely face Gonzo (assuming he beats Gaudio) and that can be dangerous an any surface. Gonzo has beaten Nalbandian on hard court recently (as well as lost to him) and he nearly beat Ljubicic indoors at Madrid.